Various styles of cluster mounts have been available for the installation and supporting of electrical instrumentation upon utility poles, whether it be transformers, or other electrical instrumentation. Generally, these various styles of cluster mounts have been fabricated of lightweight aluminum, but due to their unique designs, and interengagement, for their mounting high upon the pole, they yet sustain sufficient strength to hold very heavy objects, such as transformers, permanently in place, and over a lengthy period of time.
Examples of the type of cluster mounts can be seen in various patents held by the assignee of this current application, and for example, one such transformer mounting device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,978. In addition, an electrical equipment cluster mount is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,927. In addition, the interegaged component electrical equipment shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,250, has likewise been designed of interconnected components, that mount directly to the utility pole, and for the attachment and support of various electrical devices. In addition, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,856, shows an electrical equipment cluster mount, having various shaped components, that are interconnected together, and in this particular instance, for supporting three heavy transformers high up upon the utility pole, rather stably in place.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,978, upon the transformer mounting device and method, it can be seen that these types of cluster mounts not only can be configured for interconnection of their various components together, but they even attain some adjustability, for size requirements, which when assembled, included a variety of connecting links, as can be seen, which incorporate integral hook portions, that provide for the fabrication of their transformer supporting components into various circumferences, so that the cluster mounting device can be preassembled, on the ground, to the approximate desired size, and then raised up on the pole for securement through tightening of its threaded fastener and bolt, as can be noted.
These types of mounting devices, of the cluster mounting configuration, have worked very well for the assignee, and its utility customers, over the years. One of the elements has been helpful in the stability of this device, and that is the application of a spring clip at the vicinity where the hook connecting links secure through the corresponding slots of the associated bearing plates, when the cluster mounts are assembled. These clips slide into the remaining space provided through the slots, adjacent the connecting links, to assure that they remain interconnected, during assembly, conveyance, and when installed. Spring clips of these types can be seen in the Canadian patent No. 67938.
One of the minor drawbacks of these various earlier cluster mounts has been in the design of the cluster in the vicinity where the connecting links secure through the bearing plate slots, and are held therein by means of a spring clip, since on occasion the spring clips are jarred free or become loose, which can cause a band failure, when the bands are overstressed while not fully engaged in their installed engaged positions. The current invention provides further modifications and improvements to such cluster mounts, so as to assure that the mounts retain their integrity once assembled and installed, any function fully effectively for holding such heavy electrical instruments high upon utility poles for the duration of their usage, which may be for extended periods.
This invention relates generally to improvements to configured band type of cluster mounts, for use in holding various styles of electrical instruments, including transformers, up upon a utility pole.
This invention contemplates the adaptation of various changes to electrical equipment cluster mounts that make the mounts function more effectively for sustained periods of time, and prevent untimely disconnection of its various assembled components, or their dislodgment from upon the utility pole once installed, but at the same time allows for very quick adjustment simply through elementary manual manipulations of its interconnecting components, to furnish size adjustments or further modifications to the cluster mount once assembled. These changes in design include the use of a particularly designed and shaped retention spring, that when in its steady state configuration and form, continuously biases the various extruded components fabricated into the cluster mount, into a tightly interconnected relationship, without further effort. At the same time, such mounting clips can be instantaneously freed from the biasing force against the mount components to allow the components to be readjusted into their perimeter configuration, designed for encircling the type of utility pole upon which the cluster mount is intended to be secured. All that need be done is to simply pull back on the retention clip, against its inherent resiliency, to remove it from its force exerting position upon the cluster mount components during adjustment. Furthermore, the slots within the bearing plates and through which the connecting links locate, are designed of a specific angular configuration to provide just enough adequate clearance for the connecting links to be adjusted between their various integral hooks, when embracing the bearing plate, as when the cluster mount is adjusted into a particular circumferential configuration. This not only allows for the connecting links to be adjusted, but also furnishes just enough clearance so as to prevent the untimely dislodgment of the connecting links when adjusted into a particular dimensional pattern as the cluster mount is being assembled for installation to the utility pole. The interface design contours between these formed slots, and the connecting links, allows adequate clearance for the bands to rotate freely while maintaining full bearing contact with the utility pole, but yet, does not provide so much clearance that the components will freely disengage once assembled. These features, in combination with the newly designed retention clip, add desirably to the functionality of the cluster mounts, when assembled and when installed by an individual utility man, upon the supporting pole.
More specifically, the slots provided through the outwardly extending flanges of each bearing plate are angularly oriented, for the purpose of providing just enough clearance to facilitate the shifting of the connecting links to enable engorgement between the bearing plates and various connecting link hooks, depending upon the circumferential size of the cluster mount required, which is dictated by the diameter of the pole upon which it is to be secured.
In addition, the retention clip of this invention is designed for more permanent installation than those previously used in the prior art, and therefore, cannot fall or break free from its retention, once installed. In addition, the clips, due to their peculiar shape, and their fabrication from resilient material, such as metal, or perhaps even a plastic, constantly bias against the connecting links to keep them into engagement with their associated bearing plates, but at the same time, can be easily shifted to furnish clearance for movement of the connecting links into a tighter configuration, or extended for expanding the circumferential size of the cluster mount during assembly.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a cluster mount that may be more facilely assembled, adjusted, and installed by a single worker, upon a utility pole.
Another object of this invention is to provide a regulation of the dimensions of the various components for the cluster mount of this invention, so that they may be easily adjusted and have adequate clearance to facilitate their shifting when differing sized cluster mounts may be required for installation.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a retention clip that is a more permanent installation, and therefore cannot break free or fall from the assembled cluster mount, while the worker takes it up upon the utility pole for installation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retention clip that may be easily manipulated, single handily by the installing worker, to provide for varying adjustments to the cluster mount, even when the worker is high up upon the utility pole.
These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings.